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May 18th to May 22th at Bielefeld University
We are pleased to inform you about the Summer School “Political Participation: Ideas, Forms and Modes since Antiquity” (Politische Partizipation: Ideen, Formen und Modi seit der Antike). The conference is a joint venture by the Universities of Bielefeld and Bologna, of which the main goal is to promote academic communication between young Italian and German scholars, in particular those enrolled in a masters or PhD program.
Participation as category for historians
The academic debate over participation and empowerment has a long-standing tradition within international historiography. Throughout all historical epochs, the issue of (political) participation is of essential importance and oftentimes subject of contested visions of its usage, implementation and handling such as when it comes to the question who actually is allowed to participate and in what ways and to what extent?
International historiography concerning classical antiquity has thoroughly dealt with political participation as a practice, with its legal objectification with regard to citizenship as well as with the problematization within the discourse of political philosophy in ancient times. When in archaic Greece (800-500BC) awareness increased that men can actually take matters into their own hands as far as the development of their city is concerned and hence could wield influence over the future, crucial questions soon arose: Who would account for the decision making? Who is allowed to take part in the community and who may vote in the people's assembly? Who would have to eventually stand up for the polis with his life? The citizen (polites) as a sovereign of his state was born while he did not exist in the historical formations of the Ancient Near East. Generally speaking it can be argued that the greater the rights and privileges tied to citizenship were, the more cautious citizenship was awarded. As such, the Greek polis of classical antiquity handled the issue in a restrictive manner. Politeia signified community, form of government and citizenship likewise in this time; the term “participate” is found in the Greek language for the very first time (metechein). The civic community was exclusive, the civic status privilege and commitment at the same time, be it in legal, political or cultural respect.
Meanwhile, medieval studies and historiography focusing on the Early Modern Period have attended to questions like who participated in corporatist representative assemblies and in what specific ways this took place. While research has stressed the complexity of this issue and the trouble of facing a potential comparison between pre-modern and modern modes of participation, Marsilius of Padua's (1275-1342) concept pair of voluntas subditorum and consensus civium was used as a point of reference. This allowed for assertions about a “good form of government” and about the specific understanding of the connection between sovereigns exercising power and the subjects? will and consensus. Therefore procedures and techniques of consensus-building and participation came to the fore: more precisely, it is about processes of elections, approval and decisions. Phenomena such as these were subsumed by terms like “consensual” sovereignty within established historiography.
As far as the modern era is concerned, the question of individual and collective participation is among the best-studied areas of research. Participation in politics, policies or the political process finds expression both in theorizing (see for instance democratic theory) and in empirical studies concerning the typology of authority, amongst others. A history of participation or rather modes of participation in the modern era can be written by means of focusing on citizenship as well. Here, this term means the composition of civil, political and social rights which determine (the degree or lack of) participation. In this perspective it alludes to a mechanism of societal integration against the backdrop of creating and establishing modern nationhood. This equally implies that participation -- and the pursuit of it -- was a matter of political conflicts. It marked a scene of diverging conceptions of equality and set the course for a plurality of different actor's affected interests.
In light of this outlined research background, it is a conscious decision not to limit the issue of political participation, neither in epochal nor in topical respect. Rather, we seek to edge the heuristic potential of the term participation, both substantially and methodologically. In so doing, we hope that presentations will combine theoretical contemplation and empirical case studies. Four aspects are central to this endeavor: The first one addresses the range and scope of the category “participate” in order to scrutinize syndromes that presuppose the involvement of individual or collective actors in societal contexts. To put in another way: to what extent -- if at all -- can we speak of a theoretical paradigm of political participation? And if so, can this paradigm be productively implemented into historical research concerning mechanisms of inclusion and their institutionalization in pre-modern and modern societies? Consequently, the second aspect inquires after the option of a typological comparison between pre-modernity and modernity. As early as in the ancient world we can observe constellations which seem worthwhile of discussion, especially with regard to current questions. How did affiliation (or belonging) combine with participation in different settings and on different levels? How much of ethnic, cultural or religious homogeneity is needed for participation to succeed? A third matter deals with the impact of ideas on the political and on the role of perceptions of participation, respectively for the political self- and external description in pre-modern and modern societies. Fourthly practices of political participation and their changes and modifications will be taken into account.
Formalities
By means of participation in the summer school, students enrolled in the masters program history have the opportunity to acquire credit points for their course of studies. It is possible to integrate the summer school in place of one element within the theory module (“Theorieseminar Transnationale Geschichte, Transfer und Vergleich” or “Interdisziplinäres Theorieseminar”). Which elements and modules are chosen will be determined by individual learning agreements finalized before the summer school. Thereby students can acquire up to 7.5 credit points by attending and participating in the summer school. The working languages will be German, English, and Italian.
Context and Relevance
The issue of political participation bears relevance to current developments. The turnout at elections is an aspect which is of pivotal importance for the proper functioning of a representative democracy. Against this backdrop, recent political trends suggest an increasing disenchantment with politics in Italy and Germany when faced with the idea of “Europe”. Representative democracy, if not already there, is short of a crisis in confidence. The concern for political matters and the consequent willingness to proactively engage in this field are in decline. Many political commentators point to a growing distance between policymakers and citizens. Especially with regard to low-income and uneducated walks of lifes a shortage of participation (and also a shortage of the opportunity to exert this participation) can be observed. This social distortion can be reflected in the political system in the long run, as evidenced by the rapid rise of populist social movements which was not least facilitated by the erosion of traditional political parties and the medialization of politics in general. These movements showcase themselves as an embodiment of the “real will of the electorate” und offer an alleged panel for new modes of participation.
The up-to-the-minute observations call for an academic debate over the issue of participation to grapple with this phenomenon from a historical perspective and to hence counter overly populist demands of political participation with scholarly contemplations. As a result we also hope to encourage young scholars to continue the academic exchange with their Italian or German colleagues, hopefully extending beyond the summer school. Academically, it is about focusing on political participation, an issue which occupies a prominent place in past research, and which is likewise of utter significance within current political discussions.